The Islanders may have come out of the 2024 NHL Draft with a goalie prospect worth watching a lot closer than most fourth-round picks.
Dmitri Gamzin, taken by New York as a fourth-rounder, is already drawing notice after a strong season in the KHL with CSKA Moskva. The 23-year-old landed at No. 13 on Daily Faceoff’s Top 25 NHL Affiliated Goalie Prospects list, a sign that his stock is climbing fast.
Gamzin started last season as the backup to Spencer Martin, but he didn’t stay in that role for long. He seized the starting job, while Martin eventually moved on and signed with the NY Rangers.
“Gamzin is quick, has good size and is extremely competitive,” says Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff. “I think he’ll be a decent NHL backup, but his deal runs until 2028, so you’ll have to be a bit patient with him.”
That patience may be part of the Islanders’ long-term plan, especially given the numbers Gamzin put up. His 1.49 GAA, .938 SV%, and eight shutouts last season stack up well alongside the kind of production Ilya Sorokin posted in his own CSKA finish, when Sorokin closed his career there with a 1.50 GAA, .935 SV%, and nine shutouts. The catch for New York is that Gamzin won’t be an immediate option, with his contract running through 2028.
And even in Russia, the job isn’t being handed to him. CSKA head coach Igor Nikitin said Gamzin still has to win the crease over 31-year-old Alexander Samonov.
"Dmitry is young enough that we can’t simply declare him the undisputed number one,” said CSKA head coach Igor Nikitin, according to rambler.ua (translated from Russian). Our goal isn't to designate a starter; our goal is to play well and improve our level of performance, which will lead to wins. The goaltending group is like a small team within the team; on one hand, Alexander helps Dmitry, but on the other, there is healthy competition between them-which is exactly how it should be.”
For the Islanders, the appeal is obvious: a young goalie with size, competitiveness and a track record that suggests there may be more in the tank. If Gamzin keeps moving in this direction, he could eventually emerge as a candidate to follow Sorokin.
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Islanders Leave Peter DeBoer With A Roster Question He Cant Hide
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Even before training camp sorts out the details, the pressure points are hard to miss. The club still has questions in goal behind the starter, and there is no clean answer yet on whether Semyon Varlamov can provide the kind of stability the Islanders need after two difficult seasons interrupted by knee issues. DeBoer can preach structure and urgency all he wants, but the roster is still asking for help in places where coaching can only do so much. [Read more 🡒]